Tzatziki sauce is a traditional Middle Eastern side dish recipe made from strained full fat Greek yogurt, chunky cucumbers, lemon, and dill and/or mint. This tzatziki sauce recipe is made without garlic.
Tzatziki sauce can be served with gyros falafels, pita bread, vegetables, grilled meats, or poached salmon.
How To Make Tzatziki Sauce
- Place yogurt in a fine mesh strainer with a bowl underneath. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to strain out the whey (juice).
- Discard (or drink) the whey from yogurt and place strained yogurt in a bowl.
- Mix in all other ingredients. Add salt to taste. Chill before serving.
Strain The Yogurt For A Thick Tzatziki Sauce
If you don't have a fine mesh strainer to strain the yogurt for tzatziki sauce then use cheesecloth, coffee filters, or paper towels in a regular strainer. Hold the paper towels in place with a large rubber band around the rim if you got one.
Smooth Vs. Chunky Tzataziki Sauce
If you want a smooth tzatziki sauce you will de-seed and grate the cucumber.
I prefer my tzatziki chunky and just deseed and dice the cucumber. Diced cucumbers give this tzatziki recipe more of a side dish versus a sauce "feel".
Seed Cucumbers For Chunky Tzatziki Sauce
Remove cucumber seeds by cutting in half lengthwise and running a teaspoon gently down the middle of the cucumber. Leave the skin on the cucumber for texture, flavor, and color.
Hot house (AKA English) cucumbers have fewer seeds and are less bitter. They are also wrapped in plastic instead of waxed like regular cucumbers.
Variations on Tzatziki Sauce Recipes
This tzatziki sauce recipe is made with no garlic. Add a little sautéed or raw garlic if you prefer that.
Like mint? Add fresh chopped mint to the tzatziki sauce. Don't like dill? Make tzatziki sauce without it.
Don't have lemon? Use white wine vinegar instead.
Watching calories? Use a low-fat or non-fat yogurt for a low calorie tzatziki sauce. But, don't forget to strain off the liquid whey, because it will have even more than normal Greek yogurt.
Chunky Tzatziki Sauce (No Garlic)
EatSimpleFood.com
Tzatziki sauce is a traditional Middle Eastern side dish recipe made from strained full fat Greek yogurt, chunky cucumbers, lemon, and dill and/or mint. This tzatziki sauce recipe is made without garlic.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Condiment / Side Dish
- Method: No Cooking Involved
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 pint (1 lb) full fat Greek yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber, skin ON, seeds removed and diced
- 2 tablespoon dill, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon e.v. olive oil
- 1 dill stem with leaves, as garnish
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Place yogurt in a fine mesh strainer with a bowl underneath. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to strain out the whey (juice). The yogurt will become thicker the longer you let it strain.
- Discard the whey (liquid) from yogurt and place yogurt in a bowl. Drink the whey if you don't like to waste.
- Mix in all other ingredients.
- Add salt to taste. Chill. Serve tzatziki sauce with gyros, falafels, greek burgers, poached salmon or kebabs.
Notes
- If you don't have a fine mesh strainer, you can also use cheesecloth, coffee filters, or paper towels in a regular strainer or held to the bowl with a large rubber band.
- Remove cucumber seeds by cutting in half lengthwise and running a teaspoon down the middle of the cuke.
- Add a little sauteed garlic or raw garlic or fresh chopped mint if you like
- Hot house (AKA English) cucumbers have fewer seeds and are less bitter. They are also wrapped in plastic instead of waxed like regular cucumbers.
- Don't have lemon? Use white wine vinegar instead.
Things In My Kitchen:
- Fine Mesh Strainer - for straining out the whey (juice) in the yogurt. This set has 3 sizes.
- Old School Juicer - 'cause my mama gave a juicer like this to me.
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